George Denny

An evaluation of an abstinence education curriculum series: sex can wait.

OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of an abstinence education curriculum series on student outcomes. METHODS The series was taught at upper elementary, junior high, and high school levels. A questionnaire was administered to all intervention and comparison students before and after implementation of the curriculum. RESULTS At the upper elementary level, the curriculum group had better outcomes on knowledge, self-efficacy, and a more hopeful outlook; at the middle school level no differences; at the high school level, findings favored the curriculum group on attitude, behavioral intent, and sexual behavior variables. CONCLUSION Results are encouraging and should be considered by those interested in helping young people postpone sexual involvement.

SEXUAL SATISFACTION AMONG MARRIED WOMEN AGE 50 AND OLDER

Correlates of sexual satisfaction were identified in a sample of older married women. A 70-item questionnaire was mailed to an age-stratified sample of 5,000 married persons, including 1,000 married women over the age of 50. Usable questionnaires were received from 148 participants (14.8% return rate) Hierarchical multiple regression analysis, using sexual satisfaction as the dependent variable, yielded five predictor variables that accounted for a significant portion of the variation in sexual satisfaction (Cumulative R2 = .73). These results serve as a reminder that sexual interactions cannot be compartmentalized but must be considered within the context of the overall marriage relationship. Given the low return rate, interpretations should be limited until replication with an adequate sample has been completed.

The Impact of Religiosity on the Sexual Behaviors of College Students

Abstract Sexuality is considered by most religious traditions to represent general temptation, procreation or a way to strengthen emotional bonds. The purpose of this study was to determine if frequency of religious attendance and perceived degree of religiosity could distinguish between those students who have and have not participated in selected sexual behaviors. Data were collected from a convenience sample of undergraduate students (n = 408) at a southeastern university. Students voluntarily completed a questionnaire in a regular classroom setting. The questionnaire elicited information regarding the frequency of attendance at religious services, perceived strength of religious feelings, perception of Gods view of sex, and participation in the following sexual behaviors: sexual intercourse (ever, last year and last month), giving oral sex (ever and last month), receiving oral sex (ever and last month), and anal sex (ever). Data were analyzed using both univariate analysis (chi-square and analysis of variance) and logistic regression. Results indicated that religiosity variables, especially frequency of religious attendance and religious feelings, were significant predictors of sexual behavior. Results should be considered by those working with college students in the area of human sexuality.

Modified stages of acquisition of gateway drug use : A primary prevention application of the stages of change model

The purpose of the study was to identify the stages of acquisition of gateway drugs in fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. The Stages of Acquisition model is a primary prevention application of the Stages of Change model. The subjects in the study were 811 students from seventeen elementary schools in Arkansas and Missouri. The instrument elicited information regarding the stages of acquisition and individual self-reported drug use. The data were analyzed using frequency, distribution, discriminant analysis, and correlation analyses. Stage placement was confirmed using a series of drug use measures. Results confirmed the existence of discrete stages of acquisition. Results supported the concept of gateway drugs in that subjects indicated they had progressed further through the stages of acquisition of alcohol use than through the stages of acquisition of cigarettes use, smokeless tobacco use, or marijuana use.

Predictors of Quality of Life, Sexual Intercourse, and Sexual Satisfaction among Active Older Adults

Abstract Background: Relatively little is known about the sexual behaviors of older people, and the relationship between quality of life and sexuality has not been fully explored. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of sociological, cultural, and psychological factors to further explain variance beyond biological changes that influence participation in sexual intercourse, sexual satisfaction, and overall quality of life. Methods: Data were collected using a mixed-mode approach to optimize participant response and coverage. Residents of a large active retirement community served as the study participants. Results: Logistic regression identified a set of biopsychosocial variables which significantly distinguished between those who participate and do not participate in sexual intercourse. Multiple regression procedures identified sets of variables that significantly predicted sexual satisfaction and quality of life. Discussion: Overall findings add to the existing body of literature on aging, sexual health, and quality of life. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health professionals should develop interventions that provide education about sexuality to enhance sexual satisfaction and quality of life among community dwelling older adults. Penhollow TM, Young M, Denny G. Predictors of quality of life, sexual intercourse, and sexual satisfaction among active older adults.

Field Testing of an Abstinence-Based Sexuality Education Program for Upper Elementary School Students

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the upper elementary Sex Can Wait curriculum. Specifically, the study examined the effect of the Sex Can Wait curriculum on the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of upper elementary students relative to sexuality. Subjects for the study were fifth and sixth grade students (n=287) from eight different elementary schools that had been recruited to participate in the project. Students from five schools participated in the curriculum taught by teachers who had participated in a special teacher training workshop. Students from the remaining three schools served as controls. Students in both groups were surveyed before and after implementation of the curriculum. Results indicated that students in the curriculum group increased in knowledge, evidenced higher scores on life skills, and reported a more positive attitude toward adolescent sexual abstinence. Findings should be considered by persons interested in educational programs designed to ...

Robots Teaching Other Little Robots: Neoliberalism, CCSS, and Teacher Professionalism

The publication of A Nation at Risk (ANAR) in 1983 tilted an already shifting paradigm regarding the purpose of a public education in the United States toward one that is based on a line of reasoning that assumes: (1) education should serve the primarily economic function of preparing students for the workforce; (2) public schools in the United States are failing to produce the educational success that is imperative for national economic success; and (3) schools must be held solely accountable for producing academic outcomes as measured by externally administered tests (Mehta 2013a). A national narrative that echoes these assumptions has opened the door to modern education reforms that seek to inculcate neoliberal ideology and its attendant corporate cultural values of commercialization, privatization and deregulation into the public school system (Sloan 2008). Meanwhile, federal educational policy under No Child Left Behind (NCLB), which had already arguably eliminated the traditional American loosely coupled school system (Fuhrman 1999, 2001; Rowan 2006), has further stabilized a fertile market for private interests with Race to the Top (RTTT) by ensuring continued demand for products related to high stakes accountability. The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) by forty-four states has further tightened the bonds between educational policy makers at the highest levels with practitioners in the classroom by establishing a common set of standards through which the aforementioned federal mandates can be operationalized (Endacott and Goering 2014, 89–92). Unlike many earlier policy reform efforts, the proponents of this market-based and economically focused vision of schooling have managed to dramatically change the technical The Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 37:414–437, 2015 Copyright # Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1071-4413 print=1556-3022 online DOI: 10.1080/10714413.2015.1091258

Lessons from the trenches: Meeting evaluation challenges in school health education

BACKGROUND Those involved in school health education programs generally believe that health-education programs can play an important role in helping young people make positive health decisions. Thus, it is to document the effects of such programs through rigorous evaluations published in peer-reviewed journals. METHODS This paper helps the reader understand the context of school health program evaluation, examines several problems and challenges, shows how problems can often be fixed, or prevented, and demonstrates ways in which challenges can be met. A number of topics are addressed, including distinguishing between curricula evaluation and evaluation of outcomes, types of evaluation, identifying stakeholders in school health evaluation, selection of a program evaluator, recruiting participants, design issues, staff training, parental consent, instrumentation, program implementation and treatment fidelity, participant retention, data collection, data analysis and interpretation, presentation of results, and manuscript preparation and submission. RESULTS Although there is a lack of health-education program evaluation, rigorous evaluations that have been conducted have, at least in some cases, led to wider dissemination of effective programs. CONCLUSIONS These suggestions will help those interested in school health education understand the importance of evaluation and will provide important guidelines for those conducting evaluations of school health-education programs.

Sexuality education for students who are deaf: Current practices and concerns

A questionnaire was sent to all the Deaf Schools in the U.S. including State Deaf Schools, Private Deaf Schools, and Public Schools that were listed as having a program specifically for students who are deaf. Ninety-two questionnaires were mailed and 76 were returned for a response rate of 83%. The questionnaire elicited information regarding current practices in sexuality education including materials used, mode of communication, media materials utilized, topics covered, and the instructors perception of the quality of materials being used. Results indicate that teachers are spending more than 2 hours per week modifying materials for their sexuality curriculum. Most of the respondents expressed concerns about obtaining materials that are accessible and appropriate for students who are deaf, developing an overall curriculum, obtaining materials for students who have multiple disabilities, and obtaining materials that do not require modification before they are used with students who are deaf.

Examining Relationships Between Financial Capital and Personal Well-Being

Researchers have traditionally examined economic well-being with income data, yet recent findings indicate positive effects of assets on well-being, independent from income. For this study, baseline data from 904 low-income individuals were used to examine relationships between income, assets, and personal, social, and economic outcomes. Baseline findings indicate that financial assets did not influence perceptions of self-efficacy, economic strain, or social support. However, an individuals age was associated with perceived outcomes, with increased age leading to decreased support and self-efficacy and increased economic strain. A discussion of findings and implications of this research for community-based strategies is provided.